Burlington, Vt. is home to the linens and clothing brand April Cornell, where the designer whose international business bears her name told New England Cable News she is grateful for all the sales she makes to Canadians. "They keep us alive, and I think they keep a lot of Burlington retailers alive," April Cornell said.

Vermont's largest city is about 45 minutes from the border with Canada. Couple that closeness with an essentially equal currency exchange, new, higher limits on duty-free goods allowed at the border, and lower retail prices and sales taxes in the U.S., and Burlington has seen a steady uptick in visitors from the North; especially from Quebec. "We really value them," Cornell added. "The state should really value those visitors."

Advertisement

Related Content

Thursday, Burlington city leaders joined with Gov. Peter Shumlin, D-Vt., Quebec delegate to New England Jean Saintonge, and Consul General of France in Boston Fabien Fieschi. They raised a flag symbolizing friendship between Vermont, France, Quebec, and other parts of French-speaking Canada. "From energy to transportation, to food, to commerce and manufacturing, we are one," Gov. Shumlin said.

Saintonge added that about $11-billion in trade takes place between his province and the six New England states, not counting tourism. More than $3.5-billion of that are with Vermont. “You just have to look at a map,” Saintonge said, describing the long border between Canada and the U.S. “It's the biggest market in the world; the richest market in the world. Because of the that, Quebec companies will always be interested in the U.S. market and the New England states are our closest neighbors.”

Perhaps no time is the relationship between Quebec and Vermont more tangible than in the summer, when at least half the boats on Lake Champlain belong to Canadians. Close to 40 percent of departures made from the Burlington International Airport are also made by Canadian travelers, the officials noted.

But the good neighborly relationship was bruised last year when newspaper headlines across Canada told readers that servers at a handful of Burlington eateries were adding extra charges onto French-speakers' bills, to make up for a perception they're bad tippers. The practice is believed to have stopped, and the city along with advocates have pledged better cultural awareness to ensure Burlington is always welcoming. "We have put effort into new signage, and classes so that restaurant staff can communicate with French-speaking travelers," noted Mayor Miro Weinberger, D-Burlington.

April Cornell, who was born and raised in Canada but is now an American citizen, said those steps could help strengthen this already-critical part of the Vermont economy. She told NECN she'd also like to see the state increase its marketing presence in Quebec. "The Canadians make the difference," Cornell said.